The Apple Watch warranty conditions can sometimes be a bit confusing and more so in cases where the possible damage does not lie in the device itself. We are talking, for example, about belts, are they covered by this guarantee? What if you buy a new one? We tell you below what you should know about it.
If the strap wears out without misuse
In a “misuse” of the Apple Watch straps enters all the damage produced in it that implies that it has been exposed to situations in which it is normal for it to wear out and that are causes other than poor manufacturing. See for example the wear caused by cleaning it with abrasive liquids or a blow to it .
This type of wear is not covered by the warranty, regardless of whether the straps are the original ones that came with the Apple Watch or that they have been purchased separately from Apple. We could also include in those straps that have suffered natural wear and tear over time, especially those made of leather.
When does Apple offer you a replacement?
There are certain anomalous circumstances that, although they are not specified in detail in the warranty, Apple takes over. If the strap has begun to lose color, any of its magnetic or similar parts have come off in a period of less than 15 days , the company will offer you a change of it for an identical one.
And you say, what if more time has passed? Well, it will surely be more difficult for you to show that it is not due to wear caused by any of the elements discussed in the previous section. Nor is it that this happens on the 16th, but if for example 4 months have passed, it will be very difficult for you to demonstrate. We also recommend that you request assistance at an Apple Store, but we already warn you that it is more complicated.
And all this complexity is due to the fact that the guarantee does not detail anything about the straps beyond those first 15 days that in any case Apple offers as a return period.
Cases in which you will never be covered
Accidents exist and hey, it can happen to anyone that the Apple Watch falls to the ground, that we rub it against a wall or that any other situation occurs in which the watch strap is damaged. And in these cases, unfortunately, Apple will not be responsible for replacing either the strap or the watch itself. At the end of the day it is a “misuse” as previously discussed.
It must also be said that those straps that have not been purchased at Apple will not be covered, something that seems obvious, but it never hurts to remember. You may have bought a cheap strap on an internet portal, one of great quality and price in a large establishment … It will not matter. If the strap has not been purchased in a company store or is the one that comes with the watch, they will not be responsible for any incident with it, even if it is an anomaly.
